4 - The Patient
The door to Maria's room opened as Nurse Stacey wheeled Ricardo in. Maria's arm was in a massive bandage and she was on a monitor to make sure the internal bleeding didn't start again.
"Have fun kiddies," said Nurse Stacey sarcastically as she closed the door behind her.
Ricardo and Maria made sure the door was completely closed then turned to face each othe.
"Do you hate me?" Ricardo,
"No, Ricardo," said Maria solemnly. "But I want you to listen very carefully to what I say."
Ricardo was all ears.
"I'm worried about you. When I was with Derek, my judgment was clouded, and now I think yours is. You're angry, very angry at Antonio and Gabi, because they hurt you. But the way you're acting is wrong."
"I know it is, Maria," he said.
"Now I can't tell you what to do, but I think you know what needs to be done."
They exchanged a meaningful look, and Ricardo nodded.
Meanwhile in the hall, Eric and disappeared when he returned he held a bouquet of flowers.
"Oh thank you, Spencer," said Annie taking the flowers "I was meaning to get some for Maria."
"So was I," he said taking them back.
Suddenly Ricardo appeared.
"Ricardo, we need to talk" said Gabi.
"Fine, " he said as he followed Antonio and Gabi to a more private place.
Annie turned to Eric and said "Thanks for looking out for Maria, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see her."
"Nurse Stacey said I could go first, *Annie*," he said as he went in.
"That's Mrs. Richards to you!" she yelled after him.
Maria was surprised when she looked up and saw Eric instead of Annie enter the room.
"Why Eric," she said still feeling awkward calling him by his first name, "are those for me?"
"You bet," he said putting them in a vase. "I wanted to make sure that you were okay."
"Considering the circumstances, I'm alright," she said.
After a moment Maria said. "You know, if it weren't for you, I might not be here."
"I've seen injuries like yours, it's not *too* serious" he said smiling.
"Still I'm thankful and glad you came with me. If I had been alone and Antonio and Gabi hadn't come."
"Don't think about it," said Eric. "Just be glad you're okay."
"I am" she said.
Antonio and Gabi looked at Ricardo intently.
"Ricardo, we have to annul or marriage," said Gabi.
Ricardo didn't say a word, but his brown eyes did the talking.
"I know you can't now, but do you think you can forgive us someday?" said Antonio.
"Maybe, maybe someday," he said."
It was a few hours later. At Cedar Oaks a nurse looked up from her desk.
"May I help you?" she asked.
"Yes, I'd like to check myself in for a few months of psychiatric treatment."
The Nurse looked surprised. Self-committed patients were rare.
"Name?" she asked.
"Ricardo Torres"
The door to Maria's room opened as Nurse Stacey wheeled Ricardo in. Maria's arm was in a massive bandage and she was on a monitor to make sure the internal bleeding didn't start again.
"Have fun kiddies," said Nurse Stacey sarcastically as she closed the door behind her.
Ricardo and Maria made sure the door was completely closed then turned to face each othe.
"Do you hate me?" Ricardo,
"No, Ricardo," said Maria solemnly. "But I want you to listen very carefully to what I say."
Ricardo was all ears.
"I'm worried about you. When I was with Derek, my judgment was clouded, and now I think yours is. You're angry, very angry at Antonio and Gabi, because they hurt you. But the way you're acting is wrong."
"I know it is, Maria," he said.
"Now I can't tell you what to do, but I think you know what needs to be done."
They exchanged a meaningful look, and Ricardo nodded.
Meanwhile in the hall, Eric and disappeared when he returned he held a bouquet of flowers.
"Oh thank you, Spencer," said Annie taking the flowers "I was meaning to get some for Maria."
"So was I," he said taking them back.
Suddenly Ricardo appeared.
"Ricardo, we need to talk" said Gabi.
"Fine, " he said as he followed Antonio and Gabi to a more private place.
Annie turned to Eric and said "Thanks for looking out for Maria, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see her."
"Nurse Stacey said I could go first, *Annie*," he said as he went in.
"That's Mrs. Richards to you!" she yelled after him.
Maria was surprised when she looked up and saw Eric instead of Annie enter the room.
"Why Eric," she said still feeling awkward calling him by his first name, "are those for me?"
"You bet," he said putting them in a vase. "I wanted to make sure that you were okay."
"Considering the circumstances, I'm alright," she said.
After a moment Maria said. "You know, if it weren't for you, I might not be here."
"I've seen injuries like yours, it's not *too* serious" he said smiling.
"Still I'm thankful and glad you came with me. If I had been alone and Antonio and Gabi hadn't come."
"Don't think about it," said Eric. "Just be glad you're okay."
"I am" she said.
Antonio and Gabi looked at Ricardo intently.
"Ricardo, we have to annul or marriage," said Gabi.
Ricardo didn't say a word, but his brown eyes did the talking.
"I know you can't now, but do you think you can forgive us someday?" said Antonio.
"Maybe, maybe someday," he said."
It was a few hours later. At Cedar Oaks a nurse looked up from her desk.
"May I help you?" she asked.
"Yes, I'd like to check myself in for a few months of psychiatric treatment."
The Nurse looked surprised. Self-committed patients were rare.
"Name?" she asked.
"Ricardo Torres"